Luizinho Faleiro takes charge as new Goa Congress chief

Newly elected Goa Congress chief Luizinho Faleiro on Tuesday assumed office and appealed to party-men to work at the ground level.

The former Goa chief minister said that he should not be seen as a competitor. "Please don't regard me as a competitor. I have no interest except the Congress party and Goa," Faleiro said soon after taking charge of the Chair.

"I am grateful that I got everything in Goa, I was born in Goa and the state has given me the highest honour by giving me the opportunity to serve as its chief minister," he said.

The induction ceremony here was attended by hundreds of workers, who showed signs of dissidence.

Outgoing Goa Pradesh congress committee president John Fernandes who was supposed to officially hand over the charge, was absent from the ceremony.

However, several leaders including Aleixo Sequeira, Ravi Naik, Joaquim Fernandes against whom disciplinary action was initiated by Fernandes were also present at the function.

On the occasion, Faleiro appealed to all senior leaders to unite under the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and learn to respect humble workers at the booth level.

He urged the party office bearers to visit villages of Goa and try to understand the problems of the people before trying to solve them.

"We must listen the true voice of the people before we act. I appeal to my office bearers to go villages and meet booth level workers. Our mission is perform or perish," he added.